Flames on Red Soil
by t.j.guard
Summary: Third in the trilogy started by Finding Dasha. Zenon sets out to finish what she started opposite Numbar, which leads her all the way to Mars with Zoa and Dasha, and she's in for the challenge of her life.
1. Chapter 1

Flames on Red Soil

Disclaimer: I don't own Zenon.  
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Chapter One

Zenon studied the group in the Planks' backyard. "I didn't realize you had such a large family," Proto Zoa said, leaning in closer to her.

"Neither did I," Zenon replied, lacing her fingers through Zoa's. Together, they walked into the gathering, but it didn't take Zenon long to find her parents. "Hey, Mom, Dad," she said, "where did all these people come from?"

"They're just some friends of the family and supporters," Astrid replied.

"That's a lot of people."

"We thought it would help," Mark said. He glanced over at Proto Zoa and asked, "So, you're dating the rock star now?"

"You could say that," Zoa replied, releasing Zenon's hand so that he could shake Mark's.

"You haven't been doing anything stupid, have you?"

"Oh, no. Of course not."

"Good. We don't need another Sage running around in the ranks."

Zenon glanced away, and Zoa stroked her wrist gently. "Don't you worry. I've heard all the horror stories."

"Good, now you know what to avoid. I'll be keeping an eye on you."

"I'll count on it." Zoa shook Mark's hand again.

Zenon began scanning the crowd again, when she spotted Margie, Nebula, Dasha, and Dasha's dog Centauri in a cluster. She excused herself and walked over to the others.

"Vega omega," Nebula cried, giving Zenon a hug. "We thought you got blown to bits up there. Well, I did. The spay stay being blown up must be viral to the tenth power squared."

"Thanks," Zenon rasped. She knew she was losing her voice again, but right now, she wasn't about to let it happen. "You guys told her we tried, right?"

"Cetus lupetus, of course we did," Dasha replied. "You didn't think we wouldn't, did you?"

Zenon shrugged, causing the other three girls to look insanely concerned. Finally, Nebula said, "Zee, you look inked out. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Zenon replied. "Everything's fine."

"You don't look very sure major about that," Margie said. "You know, you can go nova on us if you want to, or you can go into meltdown mode major. We're your B.F.'s."

"I know."

"Zee, are you absolutely positive major you're okay?" Dasha asked.

Zenon nodded, and she felt a hand on her shoulder. She rested her hand on it and whispered, "Zoa." Gingerly, he rubbed her shoulder with his thumb.

"I'm here," Zoa whispered. She let him wrap his arms around her and leaned against him.

A charge ripped through space with a force uncharacteristic of such charges. Some of the cups, bowls, plates, and plastic utensils were swept off of the tables. Zenon noticed that her hair had been swept up and over her face and brushed it back behind her ear once the charge passed.

Centauri began barking wildly, and Dasha pulled at his leash in an effort to restrain him. Margie and Nebula looked over at whatever Centauri was barking at, which happened to be Numbar, with a obviously broken nose. "How is it possibly possible that you are here?" Zenon asked, more fervently than she had in some time.

"This is open to the public," Numbar said. "I'm amazed I hadn't been noticed until now."

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, I have some free time, so I figured I'd kill it while I still can. I'm not getting any younger."

"Well, we can all see that," Proto Zoa said. "I just don't see how you're a friend of the family or a supporter, and don't go into any arguments involving genetics."

Numbar chuckled, and Zoa stepped between him and Zenon. "Look," Numbar said, recovering himself. "You don't have anything to protect her from, yet."

"Yet? I really don't like how this sounds."

"It's not really as bad as it seems. Besides, we have a few weeks still. A few more arrangements to be made, and we're good to go."

"Arrangements?" Zenon asked.

"Nothing to concern yourself with, especially considering the unfortunate accident that took place just recently."

"What accident? It was your idea, and you planted the bomb. How dare you call it an accident?"

"All you have is your word, and it's not like it could stand up in a court of law. After all, any evidence from the scene has been destroyed by the crime itself. Quite a shame, isn't it? If you're not careful, you could end up jailed for purgery."

"Is that a threat?" Zoa snapped.

"Depends on-"

"Yes or no. Is that a threat?"

Numbar didn't answer, and it took all Zoa had to keep his rage from boiling over. Finally, Zoa hissed, "Get out of my sight."

Numbar smirked and walked away, and Zoa turned to face the girls. "Mm-hmm, that is thermo," Nebula said, folding her arms and nodding approvingly. Zoa chuckled and bowed his head in an effort to hide the smile on his face. He looked up again and held his arms out. Zenon walked toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist, squeezing gently. He rubbed her back, allowing his eyes to close.

Dasha looked over at the other two girls. "Oh, yeah," she said, "he's playing for keeps."

ZZZ

As far as Zenon could judge, the conversation of the party-goers, outside of her circle of friends, had nothing to do with Numbar's sudden appearance and, it seemed, disappearance from the party; it seemed no one had noticed, just as he'd said himself. Of course, she couldn't tell much, since she didn't talk to anyone except Zoa, Dasha, Nebula, and Margie.

She migrated over to the back porch and took a seat on the patio, surrounded by a group of middle-aged people talking about how things were back in "the day", and she looked up at the planets that were just beginning to appear in the twilight sky. There's Venus, she thought, spotting the bright dot just above the horizon, surrounded by the hues of gold and red that went with the summer sunset.

She spotted a copper-colored dot just off the crescent moon. Mars, she realized. The planet she was fighting for. The thought struck her as strange. She was fighting for a planet this time, not just the moon, even though the moon was important. Just, something felt strange this time around. The only experiences she'd had of Mars were on Earth or in the space station looking up at the stars for pleasure, and now she was trying to stop an ambitious lunatic from opening up a colony there. Something about it seemed at once personal and impersonal, and it made her feel almost as if she were dreaming.

It also struck her as odd that this gathering of family, friends, and supporters was seemingly unaffected by the news reports of anarchy all over the world, but she'd already spent too much time wondering how that was possible. After all, she'd finally reasoned, she hadn't heard anything about the dark days not including a few stars here and there.

Zenon began scanning the crowd in the backyard for Proto Zoa, whom she spotted strumming a guitar for a few of the guests who'd gathered in a cluster around him. She smiled and shook her head softly. No matter where that guy went, it seemed, he couldn't stop performing.

"Oh, there you are," Dasha said, rushing up to the patio. "Cetus lupetus, we thought you went home or something, but Zoa's still here, so we thought you disappeared or..."

"Got kidnapped?" Zenon offered, albeit rather flatly.

Dasha nodded and sat on a stool next to Zenon's chair. She leaned forward, lacing her fingers together and resting her elbows on her knees, and studied the planks under her feet. "Y'know, Zoa's real stellar to you."

"I know."

"You're still thinking about everything that happened, aren't you?"

"I can't stop thinking about it."

"It's not like you can go back in time and fix it or anything. All that stuff is done now, and we have to start thinking about how to stop Numbar before anyone moves there. Zee, we can keep saving people's lives."

"I know."

Dasha chewed her lip and looked back down at the deck. It felt to her that nothing she had to say would faze Zenon while she was in this mood, or seeming lack thereof. In fact, when Dasha really thought about it, all that the night's events had proven was that she was immensely angry with Numbar. Still, it wasn't like anything was stopping her from trying to break her cousin's shell. "Zee, it's gonna work out. It'll be just like it was on the moon. We'll fix it."

"You don't know that."

"Actually, Zee, I do. I have a good feeling major about what's coming. It's gonna work out for the better, somehow."

"Better? Better for who?"

"For us, I'm pretty sure."

"I hope you're right."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Proto Zoa awoke earlier than usual or was expected of him, and gingerly he slipped out of bed. He replaced the sheets around Zenon's sleeping form, kissed her cheek, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. With a smile on his face, he walked out of his bedroom and down to the kitchen.

Inside the utensil drawer, he found a small baggie full of tiny pieces of slightly and completely charred shrapnel. He set the bag on the island and grabbed a contacts list and the zap-pad lying next to it. "I really need to get myself a new one," he said to himself as he began flipping through the contacts list. Finally, he found a jeweler and zapped the establishment.

"May we help you?" a middle-aged Hispanic woman asked.

"Do you make rings out of raw materials?" he asked.

"What makes you ask?"

Zoa held up the baggie for the woman to see and explained how he came by the pieces inside, hand-extracted from the frame of Zenon's pod. "I'm hoping to make a ring out of some of this stuff for my girlfriend."

"Oh, why didn't you say so? Here, drop the baggie off at our place in an hour, when we open, and we'll zap you when we're finished."

"Thank you. Your address?"

"Oh, of course."

Zoa fished out a pen and paper and quickly noted the jeweler's address. "Thank you," he said again, when he'd finished, and the woman humg up on him. He slipped the baggie and the small slip of paper with the address on it into his jacket pocket and glanced at the clock. It wasn't even six o'clock.

ZZZ

Zenon stirred into consciousness the second she noticed that the surrounding air was colder somehow. When she opened her eyes, she soon realized why. Proto Zoa was gone. She stretched, looking around for any clue as to where he'd gone. The bedroom door hadn't slid closed yet, so he was up and about.

"This early?" she asked herself, knitting her brow slightly. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, stood up, and made her way out of the bedroom, beating the door through the doorway. She walked down the hallway and approached the kitchen, but she stopped short when she heard Zoa's voice and that of a Hispanic woman in a conversation. For a moment, she wondered what was going on, and then she realized that the odd sound in the Hispanic woman's voice meant that this conversation was taking place via zap-pad. Furthermore, the conversation sounded, judging strictly from what she could make out of the tone of the two people conversing, purely businesslike.

Okay, so he's not using my zap-pad to cheat on me, she thought, and then she almost kicked herself for thinking such a stupid thing. Zoa loved her, or he said he did, and nothing he did up to that point could've proven otherwise.

When she could tell that Proto Zoa's conversation with the Hispanic woman was over, she worked up the nerve to walk into the kitchen, where she found Zoa sitting at the island. She took a seat across from him and asked, "Who was that?"

"That was the owner of a jewelry gallery. They have a facility that can make custom pieces of jewelry," he replied.

"Why are you...? You're not...are you seriously thinking about...?"

"Not yet. You know, if you make me talk any more, you could make me give away my surprise."

"Is it a viral surprise?"

"I hope not."

"What do you mean, you hope not?"

"Zee, I'm not planning to leave you for another woman, and if you begin that line of questioning, I won't hear of it. The surprise is for you. It's...a gift. I wanted it to be custom-made so it would be special. I'm not cheating on you. I just had to make arrangements, and in line with those arrangements, I have to run a few errands in an hour, when the gallery opens."

Zenon reached across the island and pulled Zoa into a kiss. "As long as you're not cheating on me, I'm okay." Zoa smiled broadly and kissed her again.

"I love you, Zee," he whispered. "Don't ever forget that."

"I love you, too," she replied. She tapped her temple and added with a small smile, "It's right there in the memory banks."

He chuckled softly for a moment. "Well, love, what did you think of the party last night? You didn't do much mingling."

Zenon sighed and bowed her head, her eyes closing as if of their own accord. "I didn't ask for it, okay? I just want to figure out how to stop this before it gets worse, and then I can deal with it after we're done."

"You know, you're a very systematic person."

"I guess I am."

"I guess you have to be, what with everything you face and people having you save the world all the time."

"Maybe what I really need is a break from all that stuff."

"Well, Zee, a break certainly sounds like a good idea, but right now, Numbar's ambitions need to be cut short. When we take care of the Martian colony, we can focus on each other."

Zenon looked up at him and nodded. He glanced up at the clock again, shrugged on a jacket lying on the island countertop, and said, "I need to be off, but if you need anything, zap my pod. If I don't answer, leave a message. I'll get back to you as soon as I can." She nodded and watched him walk out the kitchen, cross the living room, and exit through the front door.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Selena paced back and forth across the Sea of Tranquility, reaching out with her senses for any news. Mars was still on the offensive; she could sense the hostility in him. It seemed the hostility expanded so far, touched so much, that the others kept their distance to the point where Selena couldn't reach them.

"Oh, that insufferable boy," she muttered to herself, taking off into a sea of blackness dotted by stars. She charted a course for a planet that would consume some time in reaching, but this had to be done. He had to be reasoned with before the others became too affected to guide life on Earth as they usually had done prior to this colony incident, and she would be the one to reason with him if it were the last thing she ever did.

ZZZ

Dasha paced back and forth across her bedroom on Earth. She knew Zenon hadn't registered emotionally everything that had happened so far, or she was ignoring it, or something other than dealing with it, but she had no idea how to broach the subject without getting chewed up and spit out only to be chewed up again.

She thought back on the party, namely the only true emotion Zenon had shown: her anger with Numbar.

The problem wasn't the anger. The problem was that that was the only emotion she'd shown that entire night. She'd been almost catatonic the rest of the time, walking around, engaging in short, superficial chats, spending her time being blank-faced, and, for whatever odd reason, not even eating the hors d'oerves. Even as she'd accepted Proto Zoa's hug and move of heroism, she didn't display much.

She thought of something she didn't realize until they'd gone to the moon. Zenon sorted out everything. She had to have a plan, and she had to sometimes even have a backup plan.

This was the only time Dasha had seen Zenon this way, so that must've meant that she had no plan, or was facing a crisis major.

She picked up her zap-pad and immediately zapped her cousin.

"Hey, Dash, what's up?" Zenon asked when she answered.

"I'd ask you the same question, and I was going to, but you beat me to it," she replied.

"Centauri hasn't been harrasing anyone lately, has he?"

"Negatory, and besides, Numbar and Mars are the first people he's harrassed in years, all his life, except me, but he's nice to me. Anyway, back to the point. Zee, what is up with you? You're basically in emotion shut-down mode major. It's been this way since the spay stay blew up."

Zenon sinked deeper into the state Dasha had described, and she said nothing. "I'm home, love," Proto Zoa called, and soon, he appeared in the screen, next to Zenon, who relaxed almost instantly because of his presence. "So, what's new?" he asked Dasha.

"Not much," she replied. "Just figured I'd zap Zee here, make sure she's okay, like cousins do."

"Oh, good."

Zenon smiled softly. Proto Zoa wrapped a hand around her shoulders, leaning in close. "You two are a cute couple," Dasha said. "Zee, I know he's playing for keeps. It looks like forever, at least from where I'm standing."

Zoa chuckled, kissing Zenon on the cheek. "Any news from Numbar?"

"Nope, but we've still got a few weeks."

"Yeah, three," Zenon said. "Barely four."

"That's enough time for us, and I can tell Numbar's getting nervous," Zoa said. "I still have my gig, and we still have our mission."

Dasha nodded. "Guess I'd better go," she said.

"Okay," Zenon replied. Zoa smiled, and Dasha returned the gesture before signing off.

Dasha nodded approvingly, setting her zap-pad back on the table. Zee and Zoa really had a really happy future ahead of them, if they lived through this whole Mars deal first.

ZZZ

Zenon let her zap-pad fall to the island's countertop, and Zoa kissed her hair before taking a seat next to her. "See? Even according to Dasha, everything's going to be fine," he said.

"I know that," she replied indignantly.

"So what's bothering you?"

She sighed, closing her eyes. There was no way she was getting out of this, no matter how hard she tried. "I guess I'm still just a little nervous, wondering if you're gonna leave or...or die." He wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair softly.

"I can't help dying," he whispered, "but I'm not going anywhere."

"It's one thing to say it and another to do it."

"I can promise you now that you have nothing to worry about."

She nodded, buring her face in his neck, and after a moment, she pulled away. "I trust you, I do, but I'm trying to be careful."

"I understand."

A charge shot through the air, shattering at least one of the windows. Instinctively, Proto Zoa leapt up and pressed Zenon into him in a protective manner. In the bone-chilling silence that followed, Zoa peered above the island to survey the damage and determine whether or not it was safe to proceed. He stood and walked around the island, and soon, Zenon followed him. "They're getting worse," he said. "Any ideas?" She shook her head no.

The kitchen floor was dotted with stars created by the numerous small shards of glass, and one of the wall-sized windows in the kitchen was gone. Several other windows were cracked or had large holes blown through them, but there was only one that was completely gone.

Carefully, Zoa stepped over the chards of glass, which crunched under his feet, and approached the window. Zenon stayed behind and watched him. "This is the first time I've seen the charges indicate a direction or focal point," she said.

"Agreed," he replied. "Maybe they are getting worse, or targeting us more fiercely."

"So maybe Mars is getting antsy, too."

"Maybe. We should probably pack space suits, just in case."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Hostile?" Mars snapped. "You think I'm too hostile?"

"Yes, I do," Selena retorted, "and so does everyone else, but I'm the only one brave enough to call you on it, so don't go defending yourself when they're avoiding you because of it."

The wind howled louder, and the rust-colored dust of the Martian surface was swept up in greater quantities, sweeping across and through the two sparring dieties until only silhouettes were barely visible. "You listen to me," he said. "I can be as hostile as I want to. You were when Numbar built something on your world, but you let him go too far. I won't make that mistake."

"I didn't take it out on the others like you are, and don't give me any of that 'I'm the god of war' crap, because I'm not having it."

Mars scoffed. "Beats being the 'moon goddess'."

The cloud of dust gathered more densely above their heads, and Mars began to seem genuinely afraid. Lighting flashed, and even in the thin atmosphere, the thunder was quite loud. The wind howled, and the dust made the air seem solid, as if it were a second layer to the planet's surface.

Mars recovered himself and said, "And she calls me hostile."

"I heard that," Selena snapped, and the storm grew worse. Mars jumped at a particularly loud crack of thunder, and Selena smirked. The storm began to calm, but it didn't abate entirely. "At least I centered my anger on the thing that caused it. You'd do well to do the same."

"Who the hell do you think you are, lady, the Buddha?" Another crack of thunder shook the surrounding area. "Well, I know one thing. You're not Jesus."

"I'm thankful for that much."

"But seriously, I'm handling this. If I torture this guy enough, he'll pack up and move."

"If he's not dead first, and he very likely will be, and who knows, maybe he willed it to his daughter."

"Oh, yeah, and she wants to be a part of his life."

"For once, I agree with you."

"Now will you just leave me alone so I can get on with my life?"

"I'm here as the only willing representative of our kind. Don't you think that's a little sad?"

"Well, maybe, but until Numbar and his scum are off my planet, who gives a damn what they think?"

"Every Earthling under their influence cares what they think, whether they realize it or not. They fled your influence, but that means they reduced their influence on their aspects of Earthlings' lives. That gives you greater control, and I'm beginning to suspect you planned this."

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't, but either way, if a tactic makes a statement, I'm using it."

"That doesn't necessarily mean the tactic works."

"For me, a statement definitely works, and as long as he takes notice, I'm off to a great start."

"He's not going to pay attention. You know that, don't you?"

"Doesn't matter. Someone will stop him within the next three weeks. I'll make sure that happens."

Selena huffed and spirited herself away through the gathering storm over Mars' head. He was being completely impossible, and she began to doubt his sanity. Regardless, she had to get to Zenon and Proto Zoa, and they had take action, before it was too late.

ZZZ

Proto Zoa strummed his guitar, and Zenon closed her eyes and leaned against him, listening quietly. After a moment, she asked, "Isn't that Supernova Girl?"

"Nice work, love," he said with a laugh. He began to strum a different tune and asked her to name it.

"Oh, this is an old one," she said. "'Don't Want to be Found'?"

"Very good. Try this one." He played yet another tune.

"Oh, that one's easy. 'The Galaxy Is Ours'."

He chuckled, but he didn't strum another tune until he saw that one through. Then he strummed 'Out of this World', singing along to his parts. Before she knew it, Zenon realized she was singing along with him, helping him finish the song.

"Excuse me, I'm standing right here," Selena said, interrupting Zenon and Zoa's moment. They looked up at her, both startled out of their wits. She looked annoyed, as if she'd been standing there for an obscenely long period of time waiting for an answer.

"Oh, uh, sorry. We didn't notice," Zenon managed.

"Alright, look. I tried like hell and I can't reason with Mars right now. It's almost like he lost his mind. My advice right now is tread carefully, because he might mistake you for the enemy and kill you."

"If we're trying to get Numbar off of Mars the planet, why would he mistake us for the enemy?" Zoa asked.

"I told you, he's losing it, and I think the only way to solve this is to get Numbar's colony off, and if there's anything I know from experience, it's that he won't have any of it. He'll do everything he can to stop you."

"We still have a few weeks, and if we're lucky, he'll schedule a ride up to see whether or not he can get going on schedule. We sneak aboard, and he won't even know we're there."

"What happens when we get there?" Zenon asked, giving Proto Zoa a slightly annoyed look.

"Oh, I haven't thought about that part yet."

Selena looked a little more indignant and disbelieving than Zenon, and she even shook her head, completely refusing to comment.

"Well, don't get me wrong, the whole sneaking on thing sounds good. Take it from someone who's done it before," Zenon said, "but I think we need a concrete plan before we do anything that major."

Zoa shrugged. "Fair," he said. "Now, anyone have any ideas for such a plan?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Oh, there you are, love," Zoa said as he walked into the guest bedroom. Zenon was lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He took a seat on the edge of the bed and added, "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."

"So, we're supposed to wait for Numbar to zap Dasha a schedule and for Dasha to zap it to us?" Zenon asked, duller than she had shot for. "It's not like we can count on that, or if we have time to act on it."

"That might be our only option. He might shuttle his way up to his colony just to personally see to how things are doing, if he's trying to maintain a reputation, and if that is his plan, if we know about it, that's our opening."

"You really think that's what he's going to do?"

"It might be."

Zenon looked over at him, and Zoa took her hand. She turned her head toward the ceiling again, closing her eyes.

A charge ripped through the air, shaking Nova Linda down to its foundation. Zoa squeezed Zenon's hand reflexively, ready to defend her from more shattered windows. However, the only glass shattering to be heard came from the kitchen, signalling the final destruction of the damaged windows that had managed to hold together the first time.

"I can't tell if he's trying to scare us or just screwing around," Zoa said.

"Well, it's not like he can go nuclear on us until people actually move to Mars permanently."

"Actually, he can. He can do a lot of things, and I'm beginning to suspect that the only way to stop him, and consequently all this madness, is to find ourselves a shuttle to Mars, board it somehow, and figure out some way to destroy the settlement, like blowing it up, not to lift inspiration from what just happened."

"You're fine. Might be the only way to solve our problems."

"Are you getting desperate on me?" Zoa asked with a soft smirk. "This is worse than I thought." He lay across the bed and stroked her face. "Is there anything I can do to help get the old Zenon back?"

"I just want this over with right now. I want a normal life right now. I want a normal relationship with you, at least from my end."

Zoa kissed her cheek softly. "Zee, I'll tell you what. I'm going to zap Dasha, see if she knows anything as far as a schedule is concerned. You should get some rest."

Zenon nodded, and Zoa slipped out of the bed, bidding her farewell, and walked down the hall and into the kitchen, where he found his pen and a legal pad. He ripped a sheet of paper off the pad, wrote 'Only open me when Zoa's not here, Zoa' on it in small print, and pulled the small red velvet box out of his pocket. He wrapped the box in such a way as to have the message all on one face of the cube, taped everything securely, and set the box on the island countertop before putting the pen and pad back where he'd found them.

Then he reached for Zenon's zap-pad and zapped her cousin. "Zoa, what's up?" Dasha asked as soon as she picked up.

"I have a question. Did Numbar ever send you a schedule of shuttles to Mars?"

"Yeah, I think so." She pressed a few buttons, pulling up a second screen. "Which one do you want, the check up for the close friends and family in about a week or the main one in three weeks?"

"Is there any way you can sneak Zee and I onto the first one?"

"Yeah, I think there's a way. I'll get back to you guys and relay details, but don't get a new zap-pad before next week. I don't want to try to learn a new contact number until then."

"Saving the world first, new stuff later. Promise."

"Cool. Now, how's Zee?"

"Perfectly fine, if a little..."

"Zombie-like major."

"Yes." Zoa bowed his head and stared at the sleeves of his shimmering purple shirt.

"That's her norm lately. Guess it's the way she is, finishing things before processing them."

"Well, thank you for your help. She'll be dealing with it in no time if we have anything to say about it."

"I hope so. I want to do what's best for her, and I'm pretty sure that stopping Numbar will help, a lot."

"Well, you relay details to us, and maybe we can help you with the planning and execution."

"Okay. Over and out," Dasha said as she signed out. Zoa put Zenon's zap-pad into rest mode and walked into the living room, where he turned on the television and sank into the couch with a sigh. He went channel-surfing until he found a so-called "rockumentary" on himself and his band from before he met Zenon. He settled in for a mind-numbing three hours of old songs and concerts with ancient special effects systems, trying not to think about anything in particular.

ZZZ

Dasha studied the schedule on her zap-pad, alongside a diagram of the model of shuttle to be used. Then she noticed a label on the diagram that seemed to have been staring her in the face, except that she was too dazed and focused on other things to notice it.

ZZZ

Zenon stirred into motion by the sound of her zap-pad going off, and she got up and walked out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen, where it was ringing like a nutjob until she answered, to none other than her cousin Dasha. It was then that she realized the conversation she thought was a dream was real.

"Oh, hey, Zee," Dasha said. "Look, I've been going over the diagram, and I think I know a way in."

"A way in, like sneaking on?"

"Yeah, but since I'm invited, I can come up with something to explain you two, or any extra weight."

Zenon walked into the living room and shook Proto Zoa from a state of sleep. "Mm, Zee, what's up?" he asked.

"Dash thinks we have a way into the shuttle."

"The one for next week?"

"Affirmative," Dasha said from the zap-pad in Zenon's hand.

Zoa looked at Zenon as if both astonished and driven by purpose. "It's time," he said softly.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

For the next few days, Zenon found renewed purpose, which coursed through her veins like the life-giving blood she knew was there. She worked with Proto Zoa and Dasha through a series of zaps to and from, relaying diagrams, notes, ideas, etc. Zenon helped Zoa select an outfit which would help him fit in inconspicuously in space, all the time feeling the old thrill of hoping not to get caught. And just think, I haven't even snuck on yet, she thought with a smile.

It reminded her of her younger years, sneaking to and from Earth for the good of the space station, sneaking out of a secure facility into a barren world with no atmosphere for the sake of the humans on the moon and for the planet they had called home. Now she was sneaking onto a shuttle and into the colony facility on Mars for the sake of that self-same planet, again.

She felt that somewhere along the line, all this world-saving had to come to an end if she wanted to keep her sanity. If she wanted to be with Zoa in any way that mattered.

But did she really want to put this part of her life behind her? Did she want to hang up her proverbial cape and "retire", as it was sometimes called? Was that what she really, really wanted with her life? Being the hero had already cost her so much, and she was beginning to wonder how much more she was willing to lose, to give up, to sacrifice for a greater cause, whatever that happpened to be.

ZZZ

The day was close at hand, of that Proto Zoa was sure. There was just one final detail he had to make sure of before he could proceed with this crazy plan he'd formulated with Zenon and Dasha.

"Lester," his manager said when he answered. Some things never change, Zoa thought.

"Another small favor, and I'm sure this one can pan out fully," Zoa replied. "You don't mind, do you?"

"I told you, I got your back, kid. Whatever you need done, I can do it."

"My girlfriend and I are about to sneak on the shuttle Dasha's taking with Numbar to Mars, and I know, even when I try to be inconspicuous, someone will notice me and rush up to ask me to sign something, which will definitely tip off someone important and ruin the whole thing for us."

"So you need a good cover to get the fans off your tail before you get nailed and everything goes south for you and your girl trying to save the world."

"Yes, that's exactly it."

Lester propped his zap-pad up and turned to his computer. He typed away on the keypad for a moment, looking up occasionally at the main screen. His typing finished with a quick, sharp stroke of the 'Enter' key, and Lester said, "Congratulations, Mr. Zoa, you and Zenon are now spending a romantic few weeks on the Isle of Skye in Scotland."

"Thanks, Lester."

"No problem, kid. Hey, take care of that girl of yours."

"I will. It's all I want."

"I'll make sure you get your cover, and you and Zenon make sure this colony thing finally gets over with."

"Lester, what would I do without you?"

"Not to toot my own horn, but you'd be playing guitar on the streets with the case open for money like you were when I found you." Zoa looked away. "Sorry, man. I know you're not much on talking about your past."

"It's not your fault. I'm the one who asked. Anyway, it proves a point. I owe you a lot, Lester. I just need to figure out to repay my debts."

"Hey, kid, don't worry about it. I'm your manager. It's my job to look after you."

Zoa smirked. "You make it sound like you're my father."

"Flattering as that sounds, I'm just a manager."

"Then perhaps I should let you go so you could manage my cover."

Lester nodded and signed off. Zoa sat his girlfriend's zap-pad on the coffee table and walked into the bathroom to give his outfit a once-over.

"So, that was your totally stellar major manager," Zenon said, leaning against the doorframe to the bathroom. She, too, was dressed for space.

"Yes, it was."

"He's awesome, doing that for us."

"Yes, he is." Zoa slipped on his overly large, overly dark sunglasses, and Zenon couldn't help but smirk.

"You know that's not going to hide your face completely. People will still recognize you."

"I know that, love." With that, he put a silver swim cap and then a brown, prim-looking wig over his hair.

"What about your precious hair?"

"That'll have to wait until we're done."

Zenon shook her head. "C'mon, we're meeting with Dasha in a few hours. Can't be late."

"You really don't want this to go off with a hitch, do you?"

"Not with so much in jeopardy gigundus here."

"Then let's go."

ZZZ

Dasha knew she had to move quickly. She zapped the lock with the laser and pushed the door open as quietly as she could. It would be a few hours still, and she'd tried to put this off as long as possible, but she got too nervous. She had to do this, and she had to do it soon.

She walked into the expansive space. The shuttle was there, as she'd expected, and for a moment, it seemed as if she was alone, so she kept walking.

"Hey," someone said, attracting her attention almost immediately. "You're not supposed to be down here."

"And you are?" Dasha asked the strange man. He definitely looked to be about her age, but looks were decieving. If anyone proved that, it was Proto Zoa.

"Actually, it takes a lurker to know one. I'm not supposed to be here, either." He held his and out to her. "Name's Sirius. Sirius Jackson."

"Dasha Plank," she said, shaking his hand. "What're you lurking for?"

"I wanna ride to Mars. What're you lurking for?"

"Helping my cousin and her boyfriend score a ride to Mars."

"And who's your cousin and her boyfriend?"

Dasha smirked. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. It's just so impossible major, you know. She has such a fairy tale major going for her. Anyway, I'll give it a shot. Her name's Zenon Karr, and her boyfriend's none other than mega-stellar rock star Proto Zoa."

"Your cousin's dating my brother's bandmate?" Sirius asked, his face one of bemused disbelief.

"Vega omega. You're the bassist's brother?"

"Yeah, small world. Anyway, Microbe hasn't been very busy, so he picked up a second job part time, just for the security of it."

"Makes sense. Zoa's busy all the time, like busy major with all this other stuff going on."

"He's probably taking her up so she can save the world. The charges are getting really bad; everyone can feel them now, and they're starting to damage property and stuff. Anyway, I'm lookin' for a little adventure, so I'm lurking around, hoping to sneak on and take the ride. I can help you get Zoa and your cousin on, if you want."

Dasha couldn't help but blush and erupt into a fit of giggles. When she recovered herself, she said, "Sure, you can help."

The smile on Sirius' face lit up the room and elicited a smile from Dasha in return. "Let's go," he said.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Dasha and Sirius hid behind a large crate in the warehouse, watching people come and go, discussing details about the check-up and prepare the shuttle for its long voyage. Once, they thought someone noticed them, and they ducked behind the crate. Sirius' hand accidentally brushed against Dasha's, and she blushed.

He glanced at her and smiled to himself. He barely knew the girl, and here he was, attracted to her on sight and rendered almost unable to stand or speak because of what he saw.

Dasha looked over at Sirius, catching herself as she studied his profile. She stared at the crate opposite them and waited for the voices to quiet down before peering up over their hiding place again. The crowd had thinned, and she spotted a couple of people making their way slowly, cautiously, from a back way into the room. She gestured to Sirius, who looked up over the crate at what she was staring at. He smiled and said, "C'mon, it's time."

They tiptoed out from behind the crate and over to the approaching couple. Only when they were within twenty feet of each other did Dasha recognize the woman as Zenon. The man was a little harder to recognize, but she reasoned that it must've been Proto Zoa in a really impressive disguise. "Well, who's your new friend?" he asked in a low voice.

"Oh, this is Sirius Jackson," she said.

"Ah, yes, I remember now."

"Holy crap, Zoa."

"It's just that you're so...tall...and...and mature-looking."

Dasha grinned and bowed her head to hide it. Zenon smiled softly and shook her head.

"And you look...like Elvis," Sirius countered.

"Elvis?" Dasha asked, looking up. "He looks nothing like that guy. What're you talking about?"

"Maybe I saw wrongly labeled holograms, but from what I can tell, he looks like Elvis."

"Okay, fine, maybe he does, but we can worry about that later. We have a shuttle to board."

ZZZ

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Zenon hissed, refusing to look at Proto Zoa.

"You would've agreed to it, anyway. It's what you do," Zoa replied, studying her profile. "Anyway, we're here, and we're all in. All or nothing, all the way through, and besides, from where I'm standing, there's no turning back now."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, but..."

"But?"

"I just wondered, when we started planning this, that maybe I could have a shot at leaving this whole world-saving thing behind and have a chance at being...normal."

"Normal? For Zenon Karr? Impossible."

"Zoa, it's not like I can keep up saving the world and not turn into a lunatic major from the stress."

Footsteps paused at the door to the cargo unit, and the two slipped immediately into a tense silence, waiting for the footsteps to pass, which they eventually did.

"Okay, I can understand the stress thing, but doesn't saving the world feel good?"

"Yeah, but not when it's expected of me."

Zoa wrapped an arm around Zenon's shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "Oh, love," he whispered. She settled into him and closed her eyes. "I couldn't expect that from you."

"Yeah, but you're weird major."

"So are you. After all, I can trust you not to be a babbling idiot in my presence, so we're even."

"We as a couple are, but I'm not even with the rest of the world."

"You feel like they owe you for what you do? Well, I wouldn't blame you. I'd feel that way if I were you."

"Not like you'd know."

"You never know. Maybe I do know what it's like, feeling like people owe me for all I do for them, feeling like I'm being taken advantage of."

"By your fans?" Zenon asked with a smirk. She made no effort to hide it in her voice.

"No, Zenon," Zoa replied. His voice was unusually cold and pained. Zenon wanted to ask a follow-up question, but before she could, he said. "It's alright now. They're gone."

"Gone? As in dead and gone?" Zoa nodded. "And how is that alright?"

"I don't have to worry about what they think about me. I can do and think what I feel like, especially at Nova Linda."

"I guess that's a good thing."

"Trust me, it is."

Zenon shifted her position, listening for any more footsteps in the direction of the door. Her eyes scanned the cargo hold, and she spotted Dasha and Sirius next to each other, their backs against a large equipment case. "They look like they're getting along," she said.

"Yes, they do, but so help him if he mistreats her."

"To the tenth power squared."

"I thought she was invited."

"Well, maybe she wanted to spend time with this new friend of hers, to get to know him, you know."

"Maybe. I wouldn't doubt it."

ZZZ

Numbar leaned back in his chair, staring out the window at the stars that passed them by. By his calculations, it would be only an hour at most until the shuttle reached Mars.

The shuttle bucked, and immediately Numbar knew the cause. There was a charge racing through space. The windows held together, thankfully, but he could only hope that the next charge wouldn't destroy his shuttle. It was his ride back.

The people around him began to whisper in tones of varying agitation, so he said, "Stay calm, everyone. It happens all the time."

"You're used to this?" one of the passengers, a male, asked in clear disbelief.

"Yes, I am, as a matter of fact. Now stay calm, and everything will be fine."

This seemed to be enough to settle everything down, so he settled in his seat and returned his attention to the scenery outside his window.

ZZZ

Sirius thought back on how he'd touched Dasha's hand. Back then it had been an accident, but she hadn't pulled away, at least as far as he understood it. That sort of uncertain terms, however, called for an experiment, and one he shall conduct.

He reached out and took Dasha's hand, and if anything, she turned bright red and erupted in a fit of giggles. He smiled and nodded. Oh, yeah, he thought. That's definitely a good sign.

She leaned into him, and he felt himself glowing. He was certain he was blushing an almost alien shade of red, but somehow, he didn't really care. He was finally having his adventure, and it had come by way of a beautiful, spontaneous girl. Dasha Plank. What an interesting name. And to him it wasn't strange in the least that her cousin, Zenon Karr of space-station-saving fame, was dating Proto Zoa, of Microbe, the band his brother, who called himself Amoeba, was the bassist of.

Wow.

Dasha said something, jerking Sirius out of his musings, and he asked her to repeat what she said. "I'm just thinking about how stellar this is," she said. "We're on an adventure, sneaking around. I heard about all the stuff Zenon used to do, and all I could think about was having adventures like hers. It happened seven years ago, but I didn't think until now that it was happening again."

"Was it family gossip?"

"No. She's been my cousin since I was ten and her aunt and uncle adopted me, but she was my idol since I was four."

"Wow."

"Yeah, I know."

Sirius smirked and shook his head, closing his eyes. "It's a strange world we live in."

"Yeah. I mean, aliens, gods and goddesses, your cousin dating a major rock star? What're the odds?"

"Astronomical, I'm pretty sure."

Dasha smirked. "Ready for this?"

"Yeah, I'm so there."

ZZZ

Selena paced back and forth, listening to Mars rant on and on about the shuttle that was on its way. Finally, when she couldn't take the sound of his voice any longer, she said, "Shut the hell up. The shuttle's on its way, so what? That's gonna be the end of it."

"You better be sure about that," Mars said.

"They're right. You are extremely hostile."

"Shut up."

"You first, because I'm not putting up with your crap anymore."

Mars sighed and rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter anyway. You're right. It is going to be the end of it, even if I have to force the issue."

Selena moved to stop him from whisking himself away, but he proved to be too fast for her.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The shuttle entered the Martian atmosphere and bucked again. People began to scream, and this time, no matter what he said, Numbar couldn't calm them down. Even so, the shuttle landed as planned in the docking bay of the Martian base. Most of the people on the shuttle scrambled to get off, searching for some semblance of safety.

Numbar was the last one off, and immediately he asked for the most recent status report on all functions of the system of buildings currently set up.

The airlock doors buckled inward, and the lights flickered off. In the panic that ensued, no one noticed the four people slipping off the shuttle and down an adjascent corridor.

ZZZ

"That was close," Dasha whispered as soon as they were out of sight of anyone.

"Too close," Zenon replied. "Remember, we need to find a way to get these buildings off Mars the planet before Mars the god kills us."

"Is that why Zoa's wearing the Elvis outfit?" Sirius asked.

"No, I just couldn't afford to be noticed, or else this whole thing would've gone up," Zoa said. He took a few steps closer to Zenon. "Alright, how did this work on the moon, do you remember?"

"We evacuated everybody onto the Wonder Bus, and then some friends and I got our pods and got the dome off. Selena took care of everything else," Zenon said.

"Well, this case is clearly different. We're dealing with a different diety and a different volume of people."

"But we have a ride back," Sirius said. "We have the shuttle."

"Yes, very good. Alright, what do we have to do differently?"

Zenon thought back on her space station exploding, not for the first time in several days, and looked over at Proto Zoa. As if he read her mind, he said, "That might just work."

"Am I missing something?" Dasha asked.

"Trust me, you're not the only one," Sirius said.

"The question is how," Zenon said.

"I think I know," a voice from farther down the corridor said.

ZZZ

Numbar thought he heard footsteps in one of the corridors, so he followed them. Standing in the middle of the corridor was someone he recognized as Proto Zoa purely by the man's gait and build, and he asked, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What?" he asked, turning around and tearing off his swimcap and wig. "I can't get the lay of the place before I actually have to perform? We can't have a lost me, now can we?"

"You aren't supposed to be here."

"Neither are you, last time I checked, but I guess since you're building yourself a self-sustaining settlement and staying, you don't care. Some things never change."

Numbar approached Proto Zoa, and the latter, despite his best efforts to hide it, was beginning to break out in a cold sweat. "Now, I'm just curious," Numbar said calmly. "Exactly how did you get here?"

"What, you don't already know? I thought you were smart enough to figure that out, but I guess I overestimated you, since you weren't smart enough to figure out that Mars was causing the charges so you'd halt this project. It was one of many tricks he used. It amazes me that after everything that happened on the moon, you'd underestimate, of all people, the god of war."

"That's a fluke."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure."

As if on cue, the walls of the corridor buckled, and the floor shook, almost sending the two men off their feet. "These buildings will fall," Mars shouted.

"Now do you see what I mean?" Zoa asked.

Numbar brushed past Zoa, who followed silently.

ZZZ

Zenon, Dasha, and Sirius walked into the main hall, interrupted only by Mars' shouting and the violent shaking of the floor. None of the threesome spoke until they reached the stage, with its mess of wires connecting the many panels of the giant background screen. Zenon cringed. "This looks dangerous major."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Unless they plan on getting that in regulation any time soon, I can't see Microbe on this stage at any point in the future," Sirius replied. "Unless this is how you plan to off Numbar."

"We're not going to kill him. That's not the plan, at least."

"Still, it's pretty dangerous," Dasha said. "Maybe we should be careful."

"Oh, great, more stowaways," Numbar said, forcing the three to turn to face him. Zenon found herself instantly relieved to see Proto Zoa behind him. "Another bunch of anti-colonial activists, most likely. Now, get back to wherever you came from."

"We can't without the full shuttle full of people," Zenon said. "You don't want to leave them here at the mercy of Mars, do you?"

A strange look passed over Numbar then: he looked as if he had no idea what Zenon was talking about. And what's more, he had a hard time shaking this look and putting on that face he used for his public appearances.

"What's the matter? Afraid to admit to the truth?" Zoa asked as he leaned against the wall.

"What truth?" Numbar asked.

"That your answer to the question is 'yes'."

Numbar scoffed. "Nonsense," he said.

"I wouldn't be so sure. After all, given your track record..."

"My track record has nothing to do with this."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure it does have something to do with this," Zenon said. "Next question. How will you explain yourself?"

"I have nothing to explain, but you, Mr. Zoa, are another matter. You better start talking before I file a restraining order."

"If anyone's going to file a restraining order, it's me," Dasha said, "and that's if you live through this."

Numbar smirked again. "Listen to me, little girl. I...will thrive here. You, however, are a different story."

"Do you want another punch to the face?" Zoa asked, standing up straight and taking a step toward Numbar. "I may not be a contractor, but I'm pretty good at rearranging faces."

"Is that a threat?"

"You threatened my girls, so I see no reason why I can't threaten you."

"Are we his girls?" Dasha whispered to Zenon.

"Clear minor. Guess he's a family man major at heart," Zenon replied.

Numbar took a few steps toward Zoa. "You just think you're invincible, don't you?" he hissed. "You think you can do whatever you want because you're some kind of pop star-"

"Rock star."

"Same thing."

"Actually, it's very different."

"What does it matter, anyway?"

"I'll tell you what it matters. It matters that you think I'm something I'm not, and I prefer to be regarded exactly as I am, an ultra-fabulous rock star. I'm not a pop star in any way, shape, or form."

"I didn't come here to argue semantics with a diva."

"That's because you know you'll lose."

Numbar lunged at Zoa, who dodged effortlessly. Zoa glanced at the wires of the screen panels and made his way over to the stage, watching Numbar as he went. Numbar's eyes lit up with an idea of his, and he shoved Proto Zoa backward, into the mass of wires.

Zenon leapt up onto the stage as Zoa collapsed to the ground, unconscious and with soft, pale whisps of smoke drifting up from his form. Just as Numbar turned around, she slapped him across the face and pushed him backward almost irreverently. She rushed over to where Zoa lay and rolled him over onto his back to check his breathing and heartbeat. Then she began to resuscitate him.

ZZZ

Dasha ran up to help her cousin, and Sirius yelled after her. Numbar's body had disturbed many of the wires as it tumbled backward, and sparks were raining down onto the stage. Some of the sparks touched other wires, causing another shower of sparks. Sirius ran up to Dasha and tried to pull her back, but she jerked away and continued to help her cousin resuscitate the unconscious rock star.

Flames erupted, though Sirius couldn't exactly be sure from where. His sense of danger heightened, but this time he wasn't sure whether he should help the others get out now or wait until Proto Zoa was breathing on his own. The flames began to circle around the four gathered there, and Sirius glanced over at Numbar's form, barely visible through the tongues of fire. "Okay, guys, we have to get out of here before we're trapped," he said. "We can't die here."

"Well, we're not leaving Zoa here to die, either," Zenon replied, taking a break from her resuscitation attempts. She returned to resussitating, and Dasha helped her count off the chest pumps.

Sirius looked around at the flames as they raced across the room and said, "We resuscitate him on the shuttle. Right now, we have to get out of here."

Dasha touched Zenon's arm gently, which seemed to be all the convincing she needed. The cousins supported Zoa and pulled him off the stage, following Sirius out of the room and down a corridor. Sirius paused only a minute to pat out some flames on his pants leg before continuing on.

They found the shuttle packed as soon as they boarded. The three conscious people walked into the cargo hold, the two cousins carrying Proto Zoa between them. They lay him down, and Zenon immediately continued her attempts to bring him back. "Zee, I'll take care of him," Dasha said. "This space shuttle needs someone to fly it out."

Zenon seemed to ignore her, preparing to give Zoa another round of CPR, when he gasped and coughed. She looked up at Dasha and nodded, before walking out of the cargo hold.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Zenon took a seat at the pilot's seat and prepped the shuttle for takeoff, getting her bearings through what she knew of flying pods. She managed to navigate the shuttle out of the settlement and get it on its way off the surface of Mars when she noticed the fire, amplified by Mars' own energy as the god destroyed the building cluster.

The shuttle shook in a way indicative of one of the fuel canisters beginning to fizzle, but she managed to maintain control. Okay, she thought, maneuvering the shuttle out of the Martian atmosphere and on its way to the blue dot she reasoned was Earth. Here goes nothing.

ZZZ

Proto Zoa allowed Dasha to help him sit up against an equipment chest. His back hurt so much, so he tried to do it carefully. His vision was blurred, but he could still recognize Dasha and Sirius. "What happened?" he mumbled.

"You got zapped pretty bad," Dasha said. "We're gonna have to get you to a hospital when we get back to Earth."

"Where's Zee?"

"Flying us back. It's over, Zoa. It's over."

His eyes fluttered closed again, and much as he wanted to, he was unwilling to move for fear of pulling at the sore flesh on his shoulders and back. Even so, he tested his limbs. He could move them, and more importantly, he could feel them.

Finally, Zoa opened his eyes again, and his vision was a little clearer. "Where's Numbar?"

Dasha sighed and bowed her head, and Sirius rested a hand on her shoulder. These gestures told Zoa more than words ever could. Numbar was gone. He wanted to ask follow-up questions about what had happened, but something told him that he should already know. Zenon had fought to save his life.

It felt bittersweet, when he really thought about it. Zenon's gesture was extremely moving, but death was nothing to be thrilled about, no matter who it was that met such an end.

He blinked a few times, waiting for his vision to come into focus. "Your vision looks like it's a little inky," Dasha said, and Zoa nodded.

Sirius adjusted his position and leaned against a crate, staring off into space, clearly listening vigilantly. After a moment, he relaxed.

ZZZ

Zenon studied the starscape in front of her. Earth was still in her path, but soon, she reached a point where she could see the moon, as well, and some of the space junk in orbit around Earth. She felt herself begin to slip into a trance, and as soon as she could, she snapped out of it, rubbing her eyes.

She checked the shuttle clock. It would be only about twenty minutes before she landed, and then she'd have to figure out a way to explain Numbar's disappearance to the authorities, if they ever asked. If anyone told them she was there.

Of course, she didn't know if they'd blame her. The only ones to actually witness the incident with Numbar were Dasha and Sirius, with Zoa who was present but was unconscious by then. She didn't know Sirius, but she was fairly sure Dasha wouldn't sell her out, especially with something that major.

She snapped herself out of her musings and steered to avoid some random bits of space junk from the early two thousands. She tried to remember where exactly the warehouse was, and when a street name came to her, she maneuvered in the early stages of getting there. Only a few minutes more.

She took the atmosphere shallowly, a natural reaction from her years of pod flying, and she pulled up the map on the shuttle's screen. She stated the name of the street and the keyword 'warehouse', waiting for directions, which came soon enough.

It took her a little time actually getting to Los Angeles, but when she did, she found the street and consequently the warehouse with relative ease. Carefully, she landed the shuttle in the warehouse and powered it down. She opened the main passenger door from her position at the control panel, and from the sounds of things, the passengers couldn't get out of there fast enough. When the crowd had gone, she got to her feet and crossed the shuttle lengthwise to the cargo hold.

Proto Zoa struggled to his feet and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her. Gingerly, she wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. "Love, I need to you to help me check into a hospital," he whispered. "Can you do it with as little public notice as possible?"

"Yeah, I think so," she replied.

ZZZ

"Well, Mr. Zoa," the doctor said, looking up at the rock star from his zap-pad, "we'll keep you overnight for observation, but other than the burns on your back, you're, by all appearances, quite healthy."

"And my brain?" Zoa replied. "I heard it got fried."

"It did. That's why we're keeping you overnight. Then we're going to run a few tests, make sure you're holding out okay, and take it from there."

Zoa nodded, and the doctor walked out of the hospital room. He closed his eyes, tuning out the sounds of the machines he was hooked up to. It was almost laughable how the doctors insisted on them, for reasons of safety, they said. He knew they were trying to avoid getting sued by a major rock star, not that he could blame them.

Regardless, he was there now, willing to do whatever the doctors needed him to do. His vision had cleared completely by then, but he didn't want to find out in three months that he was going to go blind in the middle of a concert, especially by going blind in the middle of said concert.

"Hey, kid," Lester said, walking into the hospital room. Zoa bumped his fist, and Lester took a seat at the bedside. "Heard from your girlfriend you got fried big time up there."

"I must have been. I don't remember much, but I know I had to be resuscitated," Zoa replied.

"No press harrassing you for details yet, I see."

"I owe you for that one, I really do."

"Hey, kid, I'm just the manager."

"I wouldn't have anyone else on the job, ever."

"Guess I better not retire until you do." Lester smirked, and Zoa couldn't help but laugh. "Anyway, how's your head?"

"They're going to run tests tomorrow, but that's the only major thing. I'm actually pretty healthy, except for the burns on my back from the shock."

Lester nodded. "Sounds about right," he said.

"Are Dasha, Zenon, and Sirius alright?"

"Yeah, as far as I know."

"Alright, good." Zoa looked up at the ceiling, ignoring the pounding in his head. "How're the others?"

"Getting antsy, but they don't know a whole hell of a lot about what happened."

"Are they here?"

"What, here? Are...are they here? You seriously just asked your manager that question?"

"Shouldn't I have?"

"We'll see."

"Hey, man, what up?" Amoeba asked, leading the other members of Microbe into the hospital room.

"The ceiling and my brain function. You?" Zoa replied.

"Same old, same old. How's being fried treating you?"

"About as well as it can. Apparently I'm almost perfectly healthy."

"Almost?"

"Yeah, well, there are some things that need to heal, but other than that, I'm fine."

"Cool."

"Well, we're just checking on you," the drummer, known as Paramecium, said, making his way to the door. The others nodded and followed Paramecium, leaving Zoa alone with Lester.

ZZZ

Zenon walked into the kitchen at Nova Linda, and she spotted a small cube of lined paper on the island countertop. She picked up the cube and examined Proto Zoa's familiar handwriting: 'Open me when Zoa's not here, Zoa'. She peeled off the paper to reveal a red velvet box, and when she opened the box, she found a grey metal ring about her size, engraved with '015741'.

With tears in her eyes, she pulled the ring out of its place in the box and slipped it onto her finger.

"I love you, Zoa," she whispered.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Sirius pushed his way through the crowd toward Dasha, who was dancing in the mosh pit around the stage. Finally, he got close enough to her to have a hope of speaking to her over the music. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," Dasha replied. "What's up?"

"Not much. Enjoying the show?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. Hey, uh, you wanna catch some late dinner after the show?"

"Sure. That sounds stellar."

Sirius grinned. He couldn't believe his luck, but he was absolutely certain he wasn't dreaming. He looked up at Amoeba, who had apparently been watching them for some time and was nodding approvingly. Then he looked over at Dasha, who, like most of the girls in the crowd, was watching Proto Zoa. He shook his head softly, but when he thought about it, he realized he wouldn't change anything about his situation at the present.

ZZZ

Selena walked up to the bar and took a seat. "What can I get you?" the bartender asked.

"The house specialty, if you would," she replied, watching the crowd dance to Proto Zoa's music. The bartender set a drink on the counter next to her, and she nodded her thanks, picking it up and sipping it through the straw provided.

The song ended, and Zoa's voice projected itself over the loudspeakers. "At this time, I'd like to play a special song for a special girl, a girl who saved my life just recently. Some of you know her, and some of you do not, so without further ado, 'The Galaxy is Ours' for Zenon Karr."

The crowd cheered, and the song began.

Selena's attention was attracted by red ribbons dancing through the sky, and soon, Mars came to join her. "Can I join the party?"

"You look cheerful for being recently colonized," she said with a smirk.

"Nobody came and stayed, so I wasn't colonized. Beat that."

Selena shook her head and took another sip from her drink. The crowd began to cheer again, and the cheering continued until Proto Zoa performed a couple more songs. "Anyway," she said, "you never did tell me what happened to the colony buildings."

"Well, the one I let burn to the ground, and I wiped out the others."

"And you've pretty much stopped being hostile to everyone you see?"

"Yeah. Destroying the colony and the man behind it did me good."

"Wish I had the chance. Could've saved you the trouble if I offed him myself." She took a sip from her drink and tapped her foot in time to the music. The last song ended, and the crowd began to disperse after Zoa's parting pleas of safe driving and "good night". She finished her drink and set the empty glass on the table. "That's all," she told the bartender, slipping him her tab and a tip.

"Glad I'm back to being good?" Mars asked.

"Actually, yes, I am," Selena replied. "I'll catch you around."

"Better believe it."

Selena watched Mars shoot up into the sky before she charted a course for the moon and did the same.

ZZZ

"Hello, love," Proto Zoa said, setting his guitar down next to some boxes and holding his arms out. Zenon wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pressed her into him. "What did you think of the show?"

"I liked it, especially since you sang half of it for me," she replied. "But I missed you, Zoa."

"I was ten feet from you, love."

"So were you when you got shocked."

"Well, I'm fine, thanks to you. You saved my life, Zenon."

"I didn't want you to die. Vega omega, I was so fully shivered out, but I couldn't scrub that mission. I love you, Zoa. I didn't want you to leave me."

"I'm here now, Zenon. I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here with you, always."


End file.
